STEVE BRUCE has dismissed fears that the dynamics in the boardroom at the Stadium of Light have altered significantly by insisting former chairman Niall Quinn remains at the hub of football matters.

Quinn's decision to move aside and head up the club's international development programme 12 days ago stunned Wearside, with Bruce's own job security under the new chairmanship of owner Ellis Short something that looked under greater threat.

However, speaking for the first time yesterday about the decision after returning from a commercial trip to South Korea, Bruce rubbished any notion that things have changed dramatically.

The Sunderland manager has still been told to discuss potential player recruits with Quinn before eventually turning to Short to receive the final decision over whether a deal can be pursued.

Such a situation has been the case since Short purchased a 30 per cent majority stake in the club in September 2008 and his control only increased when he assumed 100 per cent control in May 2009.

Short's financial clout - his estimated £1bn fortune had him ranked 15th in a recent football financial rich list published by FourFourTwo magazine - means he will be the main decision maker. Quinn, however, will remain a key player.

"The ultimate decision on a player coming in is with the owner," said Bruce. "Niall would always have gone to the owner and that's still exactly the case now. Niall hasn't gone away, he's still very much in touch with myself and it will remain that way."

Quinn, who was seen in the tunnel sharing a warm embrace with the manager after the 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion a fortnight ago, may still be by the phone for Bruce to call, but the Sunderland boss also insists he has a good relationship with Short.

The three of them recently shared a round of golf together and Bruce is satisfied with how things are, even though Quinn has relinquished control of many of the day-to-day matters he took care of.

Bruce, however, also accepts there are targets Short wants achieving this season and a failure to improve results could harm his own chances of staying in the job.

He said: "He reassured me that everything's OK. Listen. I need a few results, it's as simple as that. I have to stress that the club's not changed in that respect.

"Ellis Short wants a club that's going to be trying to compete at the top end of the table. That means to get up around tenth, where it has been very difficult to break in to in the past.

"But that's all he's ever wanted since the first day I met him. We've always had a decent relationship from the day I met him, so in that respect I don't think anything's going to change.

"To be fair to him, one of the beauties about him since he came in here, he lets you manage. The football domain is mine and that's not going to change.

"I won't take that for granted. I'm judged on one thing which is winning matches and at the moment we're not winning enough. I'm open to criticism but certainly in the way the club is run, nothing has changed that much."

Sunderland head to Arsenal tomorrow knowing a failure to avoid defeat will pile further pressure on Bruce ahead of next Saturday's trip to fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers.

The Black Cats have won just one of their opening seven matches in the Premier League, which has left them hovering too close to the bottom three than Bruce or Short would prefer.

Arsenal have not enjoyed the start they would have liked either, with Arsene Wenger's position also brought in to question after winning just two of league games this season - leaving them a point and a place better off than Sunderland.

"You get criticism in this job, it's part and parcel of it, but some of it with Arsene Wenger, I have to say, I find ridiculous," said Bruce, knowing Arsenal have won their last four home matches in all competitions.

"He might not have won anything in three or four years, but has he had the financial clout? It doesn't look like it from where I'm sitting.

"When Arsenal lose their best players to other teams, then it does give us a little bit of comfort, because if it can happen to Arsenal then it can happen to anyone."

Bruce goes to Arsenal without Nicklas Bendtner, who is ineligible under the terms of his loan agreement from Arsenal, and he must decide whether to start with Connor Wickham or Ji Dong-Won in attack.

And Bruce, who has informed the South Korean FA that Ji will be allowed to play in next summer's Olympics if he is called up, must weigh up whether the young Asian is fine to play after a long flight back from Korea where he has been on international duty.

Sunderland, meanwhile, have revealed defender Titus Bramble is still suspended by the club while an investigation is carried out in to the defender's arrest on suspicion of sexual assault and possession of a Class A drug on September 28.